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McKinnon
McKinnon — Homepage Mockup V4
[ Hero Image / Atmospheric Photo or Video — Founder Portrait ]
Available 2026Pacific Northwest / Remote
No. 001 / 2026
A Marketing Strategist's Portfolio

If I Believe
In You
Everyone Will

[ Tagline / supporting line. One sentence positioning — who I work with, what I do, what I refuse. ]

"

Marketing can only amplify meaning that already exists. The companies that win are the ones where belief is real, shared, and expressed through every single decision.

— Operating Thesis / 2026
CH. 01Selected Work

The Receipts.
Not the Resume.

[ One sentence framing. What this section is. Spec work, live work, brand systems, campaigns. The actual artifacts. ]

01 · 2025
[ Featured Work Image ]
Brand Awareness

[ Featured Project Title ]

02 · 2025
[ Image ]
Brand Positioning

[ Project ]

03 · 2025
[ Image ]
Brand Awareness

[ Project ]

04 · 2025
[ Image ]
Brand Positioning

[ Project ]

05 · 2025
[ Image ]
Campaign

[ Project ]

06 · 2025
[ Image ]
Spec Campaign

[ Project ]

07 · 2025
[ Image ]
Brand System

[ Project ]

CH. 02Documentary Series

Brand Autopsies

[ Two to three sentence pitch. The documentary work. Why I make films about brands instead of just talking about them. What the series is, who it's for, why it matters. ]

[ Thumbnail ]
No. 01 / 2026Casual Dining

Texas Roadhouse vs. Logan's

[ One-sentence logline that captures the central conflict of the documentary. ]

[ XX:XX ]Runtime
[ Thumbnail ]
No. 02 / 2026Casual Dining

Hooters: Identity Crisis

[ One-sentence logline. ]

[ XX:XX ]Runtime
[ Thumbnail ]
No. 03 / 2026Aviation

Southwest Descent

[ One-sentence logline. ]

[ XX:XX ]Runtime
[ Thumbnail ]
No. 04 / 2026Technology

BlackBerry: How a Brand Died

[ One-sentence logline. ]

[ XX:XX ]Runtime
CH. 03Featured Case Study
[ Case Study Hero Image ]
In Practice
[ Client Name · Period ]

[ Case Study Headline — the business outcome stated boldly ]

[ Two to three sentences. The business problem. The strategic intervention. The result. Specific, named, verifiable. ]

[ X.Xx ]
[ Stat Label ]
[ $XM ]
[ Stat Label ]
[ XX% ]
[ Stat Label ]
Read Full Case Study
CH. 04The Operator
[ Founder Portrait ]
McKinnon Mitchell
From Carpenter to CMO

A Marketing Strategist Built
From First Principles

[ Two to three sentence opening. The carpenter-to-CMO arc. $17/hour to $40M+ in attributed revenue. The unconventional path, the operating philosophy that came from it. ]

[ A defining personal sentence. The kind of line that would be the pull quote in a magazine profile. About work, belief, conviction, refusal — pick the one that captures it. ]

[ Optional second paragraph. The companies you've led, the industries you've worked in, the kind of engagements you take and the kind you refuse. ]

[ $40M+ ]
Attributed Revenue
[ X ]
Companies Led
[ XX ]
Years Operating
Operating Thesis

Marketing is downstream of belief.
Everything else is noise.

[ One paragraph that sets up the principles section. Why belief is the underlying frame. Why the principles below all derive from it. ]

CH. 05How I Think

The Principles
Behind the Work.

[ One paragraph framing. The operating principles behind the work. Three to six core ideas that explain how I approach the job, who I work with, and why I refuse certain engagements. ]

01

Belief Artists

[ Two-to-three sentence summary of the belief framework as it applies to brand-building. The thesis stated plainly. ]

The Thesis
02

Spend More on Less

[ Two-to-three sentence summary. Why constraint outperforms scale in creative work. Why I cap engagements. ]

Operating Principle
03

The Marketing Power Deficit

[ Two-to-three sentence summary. Why marketers never accumulated institutional power despite driving business success — and what to do about it. ]

Industry Analysis
04

[ Framework Title ]

[ Two-to-three sentence summary of how I approach a specific aspect of the work — could be on positioning, creative development, channel strategy, or the consultative engagement model. ]

Methodology
05

[ Framework Title ]

[ Two-to-three sentence summary. Could be the AI-as-production-infrastructure thesis, the fragmented-industry opportunity thesis, or another point of view that signals depth. ]

Industry Analysis
06

[ Framework Title ]

[ Two-to-three sentence summary of a sixth framework or thesis. ]

Methodology
CH. 06Testimony
"

[ One single, exceptional, named testimonial. The kind of quote that sounds like a real human said it — specific, unguarded, ideally referencing a measurable outcome or a specific moment. Bold the most important phrase. Two to four sentences max. ]

[ Photo ]
[ Full Name ]
[ Title · Company ]
Engagement
[ Year · Role ]
Companies I've Built Marketing For
[ Logo ]
[ Logo ]
[ Logo ]
[ Logo ]
[ Logo ]
[ Logo ]
CH. 07In The Wild

Press, Speaking,
Transmissions.

[ One-sentence framing. Where my work and ideas have shown up beyond the studio. ]

Podcast
[ Image ]

[ Episode Title ]

[ Show Name · 2026 ]
Speaking
[ Image ]

[ Talk Title ]

[ Conference · Location ]
Article
[ Image ]

[ Article Title ]

[ Publication · 2026 ]
Get In Touch

Make Your
Pitch.

Think we should work together? Tell me about your company, what you're trying to accomplish, and why you believe in it. If I believe in it too, we'll talk.

How This Works

Three Steps.

  • 01[ Submit your pitch via the form. Tell me what you're building and why it matters. ]
  • 02[ I review every inbound personally. Within five business days, you'll get a real reply. ]
  • 03[ If we're a fit, we book a call. If we're not, I'll tell you why and point you toward someone who is. ]
McKinnon
End / 2026 / Pacific Northwest